The Caribbean

dialogue on
“Green Economy”

Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI)

A REGIONAL
DIALOGUE PROCESS:

Discussing what does a

“Green Economy” mean in
the Caribbean context
Caribbean regional dialogue

• What does a “Green Economy”

mean in the Caribbean context
• Facilitated by CANARI
• Supported by IIED and the
Commonwealth Foundation
• Phase 1: dialogue (Dec 2010 –
Feb 2011)
• Desk study, interviews
• Regional workshop Feb 2011
• Develop draft position paper
• Phase 2: communication and advocacy
(March 2010 – March 2011)
• Dissemination by email, websites, Facebook
discussion
• Presentation at international meetings:
1. Rio+20 PrepCom GEC side event (New York, March
2011)
2. Technical Advisory Committee of the Regional
Coordinating Mechanism for the Implementation of the
Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the
Barbados Programme of Action (Trinidad, April 2011)
3. 5th meeting of the Green Economy Coalition (London,
Nov 2011)
4. Green Growth Forum (Mexico, January 2012)
5. 2nd Global Transition Dialogue (NY, March 2012)
6. Global Green Growth Summit (Korea, May 2012)
Discussion at Caribbean meetings:
1. Saint Lucia National Development Forum and follow-up
workshop on “Walking the path towards a green economy”
(June 2011 and Feb 2012)
2. CARICOM Caribbean Rio+20 Sub Regional Preparatory
Committee Meeting (Guyana, June 2011)
3. CARICOM 4th Joint Meeting of the Council for Trade and
Economic Development (COTED) and the Council for
Human and Social Development (COHSOD) (Guyana,
Aug/Sept 2011)
4. Trinidad and Tobago Rio+20 National Consultation
(Trinidad, Nov 2011)
5. Caribbean Green Economy Action Learning Group sub-
group planning workshop (Saint Lucia, Jan 2012)
6. Caribbean Green Economy Forum (Barbados, March 2012)
7. Caribbean Urban Forum (Jamaica, March 2012)
8. CARICOM 39th special COTED to prepare for Rio+20
(Guyana, April 2012)
CARIBBEAN IDEAS:

What is a
“Green Economy”
in the Caribbean context?
 Rationale for shifting to a
green economy
• Poverty and social inequality
• Disaster risk
• Public indebtedness
• Diminishing sectoral benefits
 Factors keeping the
region in its current
paradigm
• Political disincentives
• Weak bottom up demand
• Declining human resource base
• Outdated and inadequate
regulatory frameworks
 Characteristics of a green
economy in the Caribbean
• Equitable distribution of economic
benefits and effective management
of ecological resources
• Economically viable and resilient to
both external and internal shocks
• Self-directed and self-reliant
• Pro-poor and generating decent
jobs and working conditions for
local people
 Key principles for a green
economy in the Caribbean
• Common vision
• Human security
• Good governance
• Well educated citizenry
• Involved young people
• Informed and mobilised civil society
• Commitment to pan-Caribbean
cooperation
 Key opportunities
• Learn from and scale up best practices
• Take an integrated development planning approach
• Complete establishment of the Caribbean Single
Market and Economy (CSME)
Yes consider all • Negotiate trade agreements that build resilience
existing SD
initiatives but • Create incentives for sustainable practices
focus on • Transform the housing sector
economic
• Move existing industries up the value chain
transformation
• Diversify export markers
• Develop business continuity plans to build resilience
• Tap existing but unexploited incentives
EMERGING
CARIBBEAN
INITIATIVES:
“We wish to thank the world
for giving our model of
development a name.”
 Regional policy, institutions
and initiatives
• CARICOM Single Market Policy Framework
• CARICOM Regional Framework and
Implementation Plan for development that is
resilient to climate change
• Caribbean Sea Commission
• Sectoral e.g. CARICOM Common Fisheries
Policy
• CARILED CIDA funded project on local
economic development in CARICOM
countries
• UNEP green economy programme for the
Caribbean
 National policy initiatives
• Barbados Green Economy Policy Framework
• Guyana Low-Carbon Development Strategy
• Dominica Organic Development Policy
Framework and low carbon climate resilient
development strategy
• Saint Lucia developing a national vision
• Grenada Alternative Growth and Poverty
Reduction Strategy
• Dominican Republic Climate Compatible
Development Strategy
• British Virgin Islands environmental
mainstreaming
 National Accounting

• Trinidad and Tobago valuation

of ecosystem services to be
included in national policies and
accounting (University of the
West Indies, Cropper
Foundation – under global
ProEcoServ project coordinated
by UNEP and funded by GEF)
 Sectoral initiatives
• Sustainable rural livelihoods based on the use
of natural resources
• Greening urban development: Caribbean
Network for Urban Land Management
(CNULM)
• Greening private sector: Suriname, Trinidad
and Tobago Manufacturers Association, Green
Business Barbados
• Renewable energy: Solar, wind, geothermal
• Organic agriculture
• Sustainable tourism, community-based
tourism, natural and cultural heritage tourism
How can we move forward as a
region sharing experiences,
building and sharing
knowledge, working together to
address regional issues, and
having a common and strong
voice in international
processes?
A PROCESS FOR
MOVING FORWARD:

Facilitating a Caribbean
Action Learning Group on
Green Economy (GE ALG)
 GE ALG overall purpose
• To identify and promote ways in
which “green economy” can
advance sustainable
development in the Caribbean
through shaping visions,
perspectives, positions and
actions.
– What are the opportunities?
– What are the potential threats?
– What could be a Caribbean vision of
economic development?
 GE ALG areas of work

1. Building and sharing

knowledge
2. Policy influence
3. Action learning to “test” ideas
and approaches
4. Capacity-building
 Greening the
private sector in CNULM
Developing a
Suriname greening the
national vision
in Saint Lucia urban
environment

DOAM
National GE ALG organic
policy in
Barbados agriculture in
Dominica
Influencing
SCP
national and Sustainable
regional housing in
positions for Renewable Use of energy and
Dominica
Rio+20 energy water in tourism
process and agriculture
sectors
 Thanks!

www.canari.org